Water fountain standard



Feb. 26, 1952 F, H. MYERS WATER FOUNTAIN STANDARD Filed Oct. l5, 1950 "v -"INVENTOR.

l-'Lovl H. MYERS Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I i v i l 2,586,979 'Y WATER. FOUNTAIN STANDARD Floyd H. Myers, Lyons, Ohio Application October 13, 1950, Serial No. 190,000

The present invention relates to a water fountain standard, particularly to "a water fountain standardv for supporting a poultry watering device.

Because of the peculiar Way in which a chicken drinks, a large portion of the water taken into a chickens beak will run down its breast and onto the iioor if no provision is made to catch the overflow. If the floor beneaththe fountain is permitted to remain wet, the chickens feet will become wet and track dirt into the nest. This unsanitary condition is doubly un desireable since it may result in illness of the chickens and will result in dirty eggs which require more cleaning and are consequently of poorer quality.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to provide a water fountain standard which will collect water spillled by poultry in the process of drinking.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a standard which will be easily cleaned and maintained in a sanitary condition.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a standard of simple, sturdy construction which may be easily and cheaply manufactured and which may be shipped knocked down and assembled by the user.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved standard, and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral I designates a box like structure open at the top and bottom which forms the main frame of my device. This frame comprises a pair of rectangular side members 2 and 3 and a pair of similarly shaped end members 4 and 5.

The side members may be formed of sheet metal and the top and bottom edges may be folded back upon themselves to strengthen the panels and eliminate sharp edges. The side edges may be similarly folded to increase the stiffness of the panel.

The end members 4 and 5 may be similarly formed and are each provided with inwardly extending fianges 6 extending at right angles to the face of the panel. The flanges 6 may be secured to the panels 2 and 3 by suitable bolts 1 Claim. (Cl. lili-72) 1, or the like-. This, however, is not essentia and the bolts may be omitted since the panels will be rigidly secured by means described here` inafter.

A pair of rails 8 and 9 preferably of T-sectiom:

span the side panels intermediate their ends` and are suitably notched to receive the top edges of the panels. The notches are preferably provided in the vertical leg of the T-section rails thereby permitting the rails to be positioned at any point on the panel edge. The rails 0 and 9 provide the necessary structural rigidity to support the fountain.

A foraminous oor I0, somewhat larger in area than the upper end of the frame, rests upon the upper end of the frame I and is additionally supported by the rails 8 and 9. The floor I0 may be formed of wire mesh and serves to support the poultry while drinking. I have found galvanized wire of l-inch by 2-inch mesh to be suitable. A metal rod II is suitably secured around the edge of the mesh I0, as by welding or by bending the free ends of the wires which form mesh I0 around rod II.

Mounted at a suitable distance below the iioor I0 is an inclined drip pan I2 having upstanding fianges I3 engaging the panels which form the frame I. The pan I2 may be rigidly secured to the panels by bolts I4. It will be noted that the pan I2 will serve to retain the panels 2, 3, 4 and 5 in rigidly spaced relation and may be the sole means of securing the panels if desired.

Drainage means is provided at the lowermost end of the drip pan in the form of a nipple I8 secured in aligned holes I6 and I1 in the flange I5 and the end panel 5. A container I9 is removeably supported upon brackets 20 which are suitably secured to panel 5. The container I9 has an opening 2| therein for receiving the nipple I8 and may be of any desired shape, being herein shown as a rectangular trough-like member which may be provided with a hinged lid 22, if desired. The nipple I8 prevents accidental displacement of the trough.

A lid 23 is hinged to the side of the panel 5 adjacent the top and depends downwardly at an angle, being supported on the edge of the container I9. The" lid 23 serves to prevent chickens from perching on container I9.

A suitable fountain 24, of conventional design may be supported on top of the mesh floor I0 over rails 8 and 9, which provide the necessary structural support.

It may be thus seen that my water fountain standard is simply and rigidly constructed of a plurality of sheet metal members which may be cheaply fabricated of inexpensive material. Furthermore, when disassembled the members are essentially at and may be readily packed in a container of small dimensions thus saving on shipping costs. By virtue of its simple construction it may be readily assembled by the purchaser by simply bolting together the panels 2, 3 and iinsecuring, pan i2 Y after bolting on end panel 5, to which the brackets 20 and the pipe I8 have previously been secured. The assembly is completed by placing rails 8 and 9 on members 2 and 3 and laying the mesh I0 thereover.

It will be understood that the above disclosure-` within. 'Said time bneeth'sid figer., @he dei thereto and therefor supporting. -pan supported pressed end of the drip pan terminating at a level above the lower end of said frame, and a trough mounted on a side of said frame in communication with the depressed end of the drip pan into which water dripping from the fountain and draining down the drip pan is adapted to collect, said trough being located on the exterior of the frame so as to be accessible from outside or the frame, andy a lid hingedv on the frame at a point` above said trough;v said lid vnormally occupying a declining position over the top of ,the trough and being adapted to be swung up- ?,rdly ,tn ailiord access to the trough.

FLOYD H. MYERS.

BlEII'JRENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file eofthis patent: 

